Home Food Storage

You know you need home food storage but you still have that burning question:

What do I need and how much is enough?

So let's talk about what your family needs and how much is enough.

If you're still in the basics stage, the following chart will help you determine how much you will need.

Suggested Amounts of Basic Storage Foods

The amounts in the chart below are for one person for one year. If you don't want to do the math for the number of people in your family, use our food storage calculator.

Item

Per Year Amount

Grains

400 lbs.
175 lbs.
  • Flour
20 lbs.
  • Cornmeal
30 lbs.
  • Rolled Oats
50 lbs.
  • Enriched White Rice
80 lbs.
  • Pearled Barley
5 lbs.
  • Pasta
40 lbs.

Legumes

60 lbs.
  • Dry Beans
45 lbs.
  • Dry Lima Beans
2 lbs.
  • Dry Soy Beans
2 lbs.
  • Dry Split Peas
2 lbs.
  • Dry Lentils
2 lbs.
  • Dry Soup Mix
7 lbs.

Fats and Oils

10 quarts
  • Cooking Oil
5 quarts
  • Shortening
2 quarts
  • Mayonnaise/Salad Dressing
1 quart
  • Peanut Butter

1 quart

Milk Group

16 lbs (or equivalent in canned milk)
  • Nonfat Dry Milk

14 lbs.
  • Evaporated Milk
12/12 oz. cans

Sugars

60 lbs.
  • Granulated Sugar
40 lbs.
  • Brown Sugar
3 lbs.
  • Molasses
1 lbs.
  • Honey
3 lbs.
  • Corn Syrup
3 lbs.
  • Jams or Preserves
5 lbs.
  • Powdered Fruit Drink
5 lbs.
  • Flavored Gelatin
1 lbs.

Miscellaneous

  
  • Salt
8 lbs.
  • Dry Yeast
1/2 lbs.
  • Baking Soda
1 lbs.
  • Baking Powder
1 lbs.
  • Water
14 gallons*

* Obviously, this would provide drinking and cooking water for only a few days - less than a week. Much more water needs to be stored, if possible.

Fruits and vegetables in any form would enhance the nutritional value of this diet.

Bare-Bones Basics

Bare-bones basics have two strong appeals when you look at them strictly from a preparedness perspective: (1) these foods will sustain life if they're all you have to eat, and (2) they have a long shelf life, so if you aren't willing or able to work them into your regular diet, you can still store them for a future time of need and they'll wait for you without constant care.

A supply of bare-bones basic foods is a good place to start your home food storage program. But do add some variety to your home food storage.

Related Topics

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It's good practice to prepare meals for your family from your food storage. "Disguise" the whole wheat until they get used to it. Check out these helpful and yummy recipes.

Don't just have bare-bones-basic foods on hand as security in an uncertain world; use them as part of your regular diet.



IMPORTANT!
Before you buy, check out the shelf-life of the various foods.